Method of attaching heels to shoes



Jan. 15, 1935. w. A. THUM METHOD OF ATTACHING HEELS T0 SHOES Original Filed March 20, 1950 INVENTOB Wa/rer 6? 7770/79.

HTTQENEY I Patented Jan. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF ATTACHING HEELS TO SHOES Walter A. Thum, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 20, 1930, Serial No. 437,548

Renewed June 9, 1934 4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to the manufacture or production of shoes and, more particularly, to a method of attaching heels to shoebodies. A machine by which my improved method may be performed is made the subject of reissue Patent No. 19,297, August 28, 1934.

In the present practice of shoe production, as far as I am aware, the heel seat of the shoe-body is trimmed to approximately the same shape or contour as the cup or seat of the wooden shoeheel, the shoe-last being disposed within the shoebody. Suitable adhesive is now applied to the respective surfaces of the heel and shoe-body, and the heel correctly positioned against the heel-seat of the shoe. Thereupon, pressure is applied to force the heel against the seat, and while the heel is under pressure as by machine, clamps, screws or the like, the adhesive is permitted to dry. The adhesive having dried and hardened, the clamp, screw, or the like, and also the last are removed, and the heel then secured to the shoe-body by means of nails or other fastening means commonly employed for the purpose and then driven through and at substantially a right angle to the heel seat into the heel itself. Such present method is objectionable in that the heels,v

' heel and the last, proper inspection of the shoe is diflicult and often faulty, with the result that, the heel frequently shifting on its seat during the pressing operation, imperfect shoes are turned out by the factory. Also the many operations required in placing the screw clamp on the shoe, which must remain on the shoe during the hardening or drying period of'the glue, and the fact that the last must be removed from within the shoe to permit the attaching nails to be driven downwardly into the heel, increase to a very appreciable extent the time, labor, and cost of production.

My invention has for its chief object the provision of a method for attaching the heel to the upper or shoe-body in such manner as not only to rigidly and securely fasten the heel permanently in correct position, but also to eliminatethe objectionable feature mentioned of present-day methods and to greatly reduce the production time, labor, and cost of-the finished shoe.

Many other objects and advantages of the method of heel-attachment herein described will be obvious from the disclosures, herein given to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, and with such objects in view, my invention resides in the novel method of heelattachment hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the views,

Figure 1 is a part-sectional side elevation illustrating in accordance with my invention,: a heel clamped in place and the fastening nails being driven thereinto;

Figure 2 is an inverted cross-sectional view of the parts illustrated in Figure 1 taken, however, at right angles to Figure 1 and prior to the fastening means being inserted;

Figure 3 is a section somewhat similar to that shown in Figure 2, subsequent to the fastening nails being inserted and the shoe being removed from the clamp; and

Figure 4 is a side elevation, showing the shoe with a last therein and the clamp holding the heel and body of the shoe forcibly together, and showing a slightly modified manner of inserting the fastening nails through the parts.

In carrying out my improved method, a shoe, designed generally as A, ready for the attachment of the heel thereto, may have a last B remaining therein from prior operations, the shoe being of any material, size, or shape, and having the heelseat portion 1 at the rear end of the shoe, the inner and outer soles 2 and 3, respectively, being shown. A heel C, generally of wood or of some other suitable material or composition, is hollowed out upon its upper surface so as to form a cup or seat 4, concave in shape to fit the heel-seat, the fit being as snug as possible, in order that the adhesive therebetween shall most efficiently perform its intended function.

The heel-seat 1 is cut away or trimmed to conform as nearly as possible to the contour of the heel cup 4. This step is usually performed by hand, and hence its shape varies and is seldom perfect. It is desirable, therefore, that the seat of the shoe be brought tight against the cup of the heel while the adhesive is moist and this is accomplished by my process.

The shoe last B is provided therethrough with one or more ways or channels 5 extending from the top of the cone and out through the bottom, the last shown in the drawing being equipped with a pair of such ways. It is an important feature of my invention that such ways 5, where more than one thereof is provided in the last, shall be non-parallel. In the form shown in Figure 1, said ways 5 are mutually convergent from top to bottom of the last, while in Figure 4, they are staggered or intersect.

The shoe-body A with the last B therein, as shown in the drawing, has the heel C applied thereto with adhesive therebetween, and preferably some clamping mechanism, such as a clamp D, is arranged so as to hold the heel tightly against the heel-seat 1. In the embodiment shown, said clamp D comprises a U-shaped member 6 adapted to seat in a groove 7 at the end of the last-cone and straddle the last, the member 6 being provided with a relatively movable and lockable member 8 upon its legs, whereby pressure is applied on the heel and last to hold said heel under pressure to the shoe.

Mounted swingably on the member 8 is a socalled bridging member 12, composed of yieldable or resilient material, andhaving one end 13 engaging the tread of the heel C, and its other end 14 engaging the rear of said heel. The end 14 carries a pad 15 of such yieldable material as felt or rubber. The bridging member 12 between its ends rests rockably on a seat 16 provided on the member 8.

In clamping the device D on the shoe-last-heel assembly A-BC, the bridging member 12 offers a yieldable abutment for forcing the heel against the shoe-body A.

Now, if a last is present, without removing it from the shoe, such securing-members as nails 9, are driven at an angle or obliquely and from within the shoe-body into the securely clamped heel, until their heads are substantially flush with the inner face of the heel portion of the sole, such nailing-operation being performed by such a mechanism as by a plunger 10. If desired, a jig 11 may be employed for shifting the clamped shoe to proper positions to successively receive the plunger 10.

Preferably the jig 11 includes a cylindrical support or body 17 mounted for rockable or shiftable movement on a suitably provided cylindrical seat 18 provided in the jig 11, the body 1'7 having spaced shoulders 19, 20 for respectively engaging the bridging-member ends 13, 14. As will be seen from Figure 1, the line'of action of the nail-driving plunger 10 is such as to tend to rotate or rock the body 1'7, pressing the shoulder 20 against the pad 15 to yieldably support and press the heel C on the heel-seat 1, the operator, at this time, grasping the toe of the shoe A and preventing binding of the plunger 10 in the channel 5. The heel-pressing force so obtained results from the force exerted by plunger 10 during the operation of driving the nail 9, and has the effect of providing a supplementary pressure augmenting theclamping pressure on the heel C and the shoe-last assembly AB, initially applied by the clamp D thereto. The supplemental pressure thus applied tends not only to resist displacement of the heel but also to more firmly press the breast-edge 21 against the usual shoulder on the sole of the shoe, as clearly seen in Figure 1.

The foregoing described action will occur when the nail 9 is driven through either of the channels 5 of Figure 1. In the use of the crossed channels of Figure 4, the plunger 10 when acting through the forwardly directed channel acts in a similar manner to that in Figure 1. However, when the plunger acts through the rearwardly directed channel, the body 17 tends to rotate for lifting the shoulder 19 against the heel, thus accomplishing the desired heel-pressing effect.

The nails or other fastening elements 9 function to draw the heel and heel-seat together over a relatively large contacting area therebetween;

bringing the heel tightly up against the heel-seat while the interposed adhesive is moist. A large amount of time is saved in such operation. With my method, the adhesive has only partially set at the time of the nailing operation, delay being thereby eliminated and the nailing being accomplished before the last B has been removed from the shoe, which permits better and more efficient work on the shoe and with the type of clamp shown shoe-inspection may be thorough and rapid.

I have found in practice that, the heel-fastening nails 9 being out of parallel one with the other, the security of attachment of the heel to the shoe is increased and made substantially permanent, removal of the heel from the finished shoe being practically impossible, due to the great force necessary to be exerted in any direction to overcome the resistance of the nails as they are disposed.

My new method is practical, may be conveniently practiced, effects a large saving in production time, labor and costs, and gives a better and more serviceable shoe.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as driving a fastening element through the sole of the shoe into the heel, and effecting a further pressure to the heel and shoe-assembly during the fastener driving operation for augmenting the initial pressure applied thereto.

2. The method of attaching a heel to a shoe which consists in mounting the heel on the shoe, applying an initial clamping pressure to the heel and shoe-assembly for gripping the same together, driving a fastening element through the sole of the shoe into the heel; and effecting a further pressure to the heel and shoe-assembly responsively to thefastener driving operation for augmenting the initial pressure applied thereto.

3. The method of attaching a heel to a shoe which consists in mounting the heel on the shoe,

applying an initial clamping pressure to the heel and the shoe for gripping the same together, driving a fastening element through the sole of the shoe into the heel, and meanwhile supporting the shoe-assembly on a member shiftable responsively to said fastener driving operation for applying a pressure to the shoe-assembly supplemental to the clamping pressure initially applied thereto.

4. The method of attaching a heel to a shoe which consists in mounting the heel on the shoe, applying an initial clamping pressure to the heel and the shoe for gripping the same together, driving a' fastening element through the sole of the shoe into the heel, and meanwhile supporting the shoe assembly yieldingly on a member shiftable responsively to said fastener driving operation for applying a pressure to the shoe-assembly supplemental to the clamping pressure initially applied thereto.

WALTER A. THUM. 

